Spirits of Solara: How Saint Dane Came To Be
by thisisntwherethenamegoes
Summary: something went wrong when i tried to publish this and im to lazy too type the description again. sorry.


I remember the first time I met Press Tilton as clearly as if it was yesterday. Not that time ever mattered. I was running through the fields of Solara with a few of my "friends". Then, I tripped on a small gray rock. I fell and all the "benevolent" spirits of Solara I had been running with began to laugh at me. It was pure humiliation.

Then, Press Tilton came. Unlike the others, he didn't laugh. he walked over and extended a hand to me with a sincere smile. He was different.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Fine."

"Whatever you say."

He didn't laugh, or make fun of me, or anything. He wasn't like the other spirits. He was friendly, and kind. He helped. He was different.

He looked over to the other spirits, who were standing and watching him with surprise.

"Can't he help himself?" One of them asked.

"Couldn't you help him?" Press responded.

"There's a difference, you know."

"Between what? Helping him or leaving him there, on the ground? There is. It is the difference between being a friend, or an enemy. What would you have done if he truly needed you? Left him? Then you are not truly his friend." Press said.

I looked up at him and said, "If you claim they aren't my friends, then are you saying I have no friends?"

"No," He said as he gave a playful wink. "You do have friends. You have me."

I said, "Do I?"

He looked me in the eye, dead serious, and said "Yes. You do. I will help you. I will not be your enemy." Thinking back on those words, they now disgust me. But in that moment I thought I truly had a friend.

"Then you are my friend," I said, and took his hand.

We were both fairly young for spirits, only 2000 years old or so. As such, we were still being trained by older, more experienced spirits. We were told all about what to do, and they seemed like fairly simple instructions, but I just didn't understand. Why weren't we allowed to influence things? If we were truly supposed to change the world, then why did we still leave room for error? It seemed like it would be so much more effective to make them choose the right option.

I flunked every test we were given. I overheard our masters talking about how I could never be a full fledged spirit if I didn't learn not to try to influence scenarios.

Press, on the other hand, excelled. He aced every trial and was praised by our masters for his skill. He would soon be allowed to visit dreams. He was different. I, on the other hand was so far behind, it seemed like I would never get an opportunity. I just didn't understand.

Then, Press stepped up again. He saw me sitting on the highest hill in our region of Solara. I was crying. This was too much. I didn't understand what they were trying to tell me and was falling behind, and I knew my best friend was doing so much better than me. It was crushing.

He came up to me, on top of the hill and said with a smile,

"Why so down?"

I hadn't expected him to come, and I jumped. "I was trying to understand why you can do so well, while I just… fail. And now, you're even going to be able to visit dreams while I'm stuck here retaking all the easy stuff."

"Well, why didn't you tell me so!?" He asked, surprised. "I could have helped you understand the topics."

"You… can?" I asked, "Can you really help when none of the masters can get me to understand?"

"I can't guarantee success, but if we both do everything we can, you _can_ catch up." He said with a smile.

"Ok, I'll try." I said. I wasn't expecting much of anything to happen. He wasn't a master, or a genius. And, at first things weren't changing. I was behind, he was way, way ahead.

Then came the day when he was scheduled to visit his first dream. I was the most upset I had been in a long time. He was going to a dream and I… was staying in Solara to study visiting dreams. I walked off to the appointed location to see him off. But when I got there, something was strange. I saw Press talking to one of the masters, and crept closer to try and hear what was going on.

"Are you sure about this?" Asked one of the masters, shocked.

"Completely sure," He said, then looked my way and winked. I took a small step back, confused. What was going on? I decided that hearing more would further confuse me, so I went off to where the others were watching the chosen spirits leave.

I saw a large group of spirits go to a slab of dark matter with a star emblazoned on it. I looked into the large crowd, trying to find Press. Oddly enough, I couldn't find him. I figured he was just hidden in the ever growing crowd of Dream Visitors. One of the spirits walked to the front of the slab and called out a bunch of names and locations. Then, the most amazing thing I had ever seen happened.

The gray matter that made up the slab began to move. It changed to crystal and began to rotate, sending shining lights spewing into the dark sky of Solara. Strange music began to fill the air with sound. Then, bright light filled the air and the music climbed to a climax as the Spirits began to vanish into the light, until the entire group had vanished. It lasted all of 30 seconds. It was incredible. And I was jealous.

"Pretty neat, eh?"

I whirled around, and saw Press standing behind me, smiling. "Press!?" I exclaimed, "I thought you were visiting a dream today!"

"I would have, but I realised you weren't going to make it, so I stayed," He said with a wink.

"But this was your moment!" I protested, "You should have gone!"

"As if!" He responded, "As a friend, I couldn't leave you behind. Remember what I said? I couldn't just leave you here, in the dirt."

"Are you calling Solara dirt?" I asked.

He laughed, and said, "No, unless Halla is dust!"

We both laughed for a long time after that. It had turned from the worst day of my existence to the best one. I was glad to have Press as a friend.

Things started to change after that. With the help of Press, I began to improve. I started passing tests and trials, and I was finally succeeding. But something wasn't right. Why did I need help to pass the trials that others had passed alone? Why did I need help to do the things that came naturally to the other spirits? It didn't make sense, and it wasn't fair.

I wasn't too bothered by it at first. On the first day that I was invited to visit a dream, Press came and saw me off when I entered the dream, and was there to greet me when I got back. I had been incredibly successful. But not everything was as great as I thought it should have been.

The person I had helped had made the correct choice. On the way back to Solara, I was excited. I had finally done something right! I was expecting something big when I got back.

Instead, I got the same treatment as everyone else. The masters welcomed us all back, then sent us off after a small congratulations for helping. Not even everyone had been successful. But they still got the same amount of reward as those who had been successful. I was crushed.

When Press tried to congratulate me, I was happy, but I was still a bit down. Why hadn't they rewarded me for my talent? It all seemed so wrong. Talent should be rewarded! Instead, we were treated the same as everyone else. That's when the thought first entered my mind.

 _The talented should get special treatment. The useless should not be here. Talent should reign supreme._

That thought, and the fact that I had needed help bounced around in my mind for years after that. I went into dreams, and every time I was successful. Every time I got the same exact treatment as all those who had failed.

At first, I was sad. None of my many efforts were being rewarded. Then, I was angry. Why weren't they being fair to us!? Then, the anger turned to bitterness. Surely this wasn't the way it was meant to be.

I decided that things needed to change. I thought back to my old beliefs. I had to act. In Solara, and in Halla. The elite had to be rewarded. The rest were unnecessary.

I began trying to tell that to the people of Halla in their dreams, but they didn't listen. I was frustrated and upset. Why did nobody listen to me? Was I really so unimportant?

When Press tried to talk to me, I didn't want to listen. He seemed to share the beliefs of the other weak spirits of Solara, spirits who did nothing but speak into dreams. It was all wrong. They were wrong. And he was no different.

I began to dislike Press slightly. Always clinging to his little philosophies about the people of Halla making their own choices and not being influenced. Always the people. The imperfect people of Halla. Why were they even there anyway? To fuel Solara? They existed for good reason, sure, but they were just fuel. They didn't NEED independence.

But everyone believed Press. He was the favorite. People trusted him. Everyone liked him. Everyone except me.

I stopped talking to him. He stopped talking to me. I didn't care about him anymore. He was leaving me in his dust, just like he said he wouldn't. I hated him.

Then, the day came when I decided to act. We were all sent off to send our messages, as usual. But I had other ideas. Instead of talking to the person in a dream, I concentrated and used some of the power of Solara to change my form to look like them, and I influenced events directly, just like I had always been told not to.

It worked perfectly. For me, that is. I was sure the spirits of Solara would dislike my hard work, or find it inconsequential as usual. When I got back to Solara, I received the usual lack of appreciation. But for once, that didn't matter, because I knew I would be recognised soon.

I knew that, because I had an incredible idea. A groundbreaking idea. And I also knew just who to tell. We were sent to the dream portal as usual, and I ended up in the mind of a young man called Dr. Zetlin. I took the form of a human and helped him come up with the idea. He invented Lifelight, and it was a huge success. This time, I knew that I would receive full appreciation.

But when I arrived at Solara, the unexpected happened. I got the usual bland welcoming from the spirits, but then Press came up to me. He looked dead serious. That wasn't normal. Something must have been wrong.

"Come with me," He said, more serious than I'd ever seen him before. something was definitely up.

"Not even a hello?" I asked.

He turned around to stare at me. "No. Not a hello. Do you know what you have done!? You did exactly what you were told not to do so many times! So, no. Not a hello."

I was shocked to see him act like that. I was angry to see him act like that.

"What is going on!? Why is everyone so mad at me!? I helped! Millions of people on Veelox are enjoying their lives more than ever before!" I yelled, "Why does nobody appreciate anything that I've ever done!?"

Press turned back to me. This time it became obvious that he wasn't mad. He was upset.

"Don't ask me! The spirits only told me to come get you! They never told me why! They just told me to say that! I'm not the one in control here!"

I got quiet. "What do you mean, you don't know?" I asked, "I always thought you were the one who was on top of things. Do you mean to tell me that you are letting some higher spirits control you? That can't be the truth!"

Press sighed and answered, "No, that isn't the truth. I am just doing what I'm supposed to do." He turned around and started walking again, faster.

"Press?" I called out. He never answered. He never even turned around. I was falling behind, so I ran to catch up. I tripped. But this time, nobody helped me up. Tears flowed from my eyes. Nobody cared about anything that I'd done. This didn't make sense. I thought Solara was all about benevolence. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Solara was wrong. The people of the territories always made so many mistakes and errors, yet Solara rewarded them. This was all wrong. I hated Solara.

We arrived in front of one of the masters. He turned to me and asked, "What have we told you since you were a young spirit?"

"To not influence the people of Halla directly"

"Exactly. But you did. You created Lifelight, on Veelox. Why did you do it?"

"To give humankind the experience of life on Solara."

"Noble intentions, to be sure, but the outcome has been anything but great."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Veelox has fallen into ruin. Rubic city has become a mere shadow of what it was meant to be. People have abandoned their old lives for the fantasy life of Lifelight."

"No!" I said, "No! That isn't true! You're lying to make me feel bad! You're lying!" I yelled, and ran as far away from the two of them as I could, to my favorite spot in Solara. A spot where I was above everyone else. The High Hill.

When I reached the top, I slumped down to the ground. Why was it that nothing I did was truly appreciated? Nobody rewarded us, the elite, as we should be rewarded. I was living proof of that. I hated Solara. I hated humankind for fueling Solara. I hated them. Each and every one of them.

I sat on that hill for who knows how long, crying. Being angry at all existence. It wasn't fair. I hated Halla. I hated Solara. I hated all these naive spirits, who thought they could determine destiny through pep talks. I hated it all. My tears fell to the ground, not stopping. What if what the master said was true? What if Lifelight truly _was_ destroying Veelox?

And… what if that was the way it was meant to be? What if I was meant to cause the downfall of Veelox? I liked that idea. I was meant to cause the downfall of one of Halla's precious little worlds, no the downfall of Solara!

That's when I heard him. Press.

"You alright?" He asked.

I turned around to see him on the hill behind me. I stood up and looked him in the eye. He flashed me a small smile. I clenched my teeth with anger.

"No, Press! Nothing is alright! This entire world is not alright! It is corrupt! The elite, the talented never receive enough appreciation! The useless are not cast aside! Solara is plagued by naive beliefs, and weaklings who are unwilling to influence events to make things the way they are meant to be! Halla, no Solara, is corrupted by these beliefs! Nothing is alright!" I screamed in frustration.

"Don't worry, we can figure this out, that's what friends are for, right?" He said, with a weak smile. This pushed me to my limit.

"You aren't my friend! You never did what you promised to do! When I needed you most, you left me on the ground, in the dust. You aren't my friend! Friends don't leave each other behind when they need each other most! You aren't my friend, Press! You're my enemy! I never had friends!" I yelled, and then I used the power of Solara to fling him off of the hill, hard. He wasn't expecting it, and got flung backwards, down the hill, and onto the rocks below.

For a brief moment, I wondered if he would be ok. But I pushed that thought away as quickly as it came. I didn't care about his welfare anymore. He was my enemy.

Then, I concentrated on the power of Solara, pulling it in. I felt it coming, filling me with power. I flew into the sky. I was vaguely aware of the beautiful grass of the hill being stripped away, revealing the dark matter underneath, but I didn't care. I needed the power. I needed to be powerful enough to end Solara. I pulled in one last bit of power, and then landed back on the spike of dark matter. I looked at my reflection in the spire. My eyes were glowing pale blue. My hair was longer, and I was much taller. I felt more menacing, more like the one who would end Halla. I liked it.

"Why are you doing this, Demon!?" I heard Press yell.

I turned around, and looked him in the eye. He gasped. I laughed. "My name is not _demon_ , Press. My name is Saint Dane." I said.

Then, I stepped off of Solara, prepared to begin a new Halla. One where I was truly appreciated.


End file.
